Ubuntu 16.04 Lab – VirtualBox VM

Ubuntu Linux On My Windows or Mac system?

Yep. To run your own copy of Linux as a virtual machine (VM) on your computer, you will need to download and install a hypervisor program named VirtualBox (the hosting hypervisor software) and then a copy of a Ubuntu Linux system (an already running pre-installed desktop Linux system). See links below

Be sure to download and install VirtualBox 5!!! There are performance issues that can occur when running the latest version of VirtualBox 6 or newer on certain computers.

If your VM setup fails, please see our troubleshooting page
You can ensure that the file has not been corrupted by running a checksum on the downloaded file to ensure that it matches the MD5 below:
961a0901fb7646343c33a7a080c1bf8b
Instructions for how to do so can also be found on the troubleshooting page

Note: If you are using a REALLY old system that has a 32-bit processor, contact the tech office via the request form

The Ubuntu Linux VM is a fully functional Linux desktop environment pre-configured for assignments in most programming courses (PF 1, PF 2, Paradigms, etc.), and has most of the same tools found on turing.csce.uark.edu, the main compute server for the department.

WARNING: The Ubuntu download is 3.6GB . Don’t use a weak or slow wireless connection to do this. It could take forever (or at least a long long time) and could become corrupted. So, choose a reliable (wired is better than wireless) and fast connection to download.

What’s an .OVA file? What’s Inside This Ubuntu VM?

That “OVA” extension on the Ubuntu download indicates this VM has already been “installed and setup”, then saved so you only need to import it into VirtualBox. The VirtualBox hypervisor has to be installed first, BEFORE you do anything with that Ubuntu OVA file.

Both Are Downloaded. What’s Next?

Install VirtualBox 5 first. Next, import the Ubuntu OVA (double-clicking on the Ubuntu16.04_CSCE.ova file), and since VirtualBox is already installed, the VirtualBox import wizard will take over and set it up. Accept all the default settings presented as you go through the install.

Done! Now What?

You should now see the VirtualBox Manager window like this.

Press that green Start arrow on the menu and in a moment you’ll be prompted for a login for an account called: “vm_user”

The first time login credentials are:

The username is -> “vm_user”
The password is – > “vm_pass”

Change your password after logging on using the passwd command!

Don’t forget the troubleshooting page, here. If this is not enough help, contact CSCE Tech Support at root@csce.uark.edu or 575-6802 if you have questions.